1. Field of the invention
The present invention concerns a method and device for analysing cigarette smoking.
2. Description of the prior art
As a general rule, it is known that, for cigarette comparison, smoking machines have been developed which operate under standardized smoking conditions (puffs of bell-shaped profile having a volume of 35 ml and lasting 2 seconds with a pause of 60 seconds between each puff).
With the advent of low-tar and low-nicotine cigarettes, cigarette manufacturers have sought to investigate the behaviour of smokers in relation to the product they smoke.
Apparatus has therefore been produced with which it is possible to store in memory the manner in which smoker smoke their cigarettes. Cigarette holders have consequently been developed equipped with means for measuring puff rate and draw and with sensors detecting the contact of the cigarette holder with the smoker's lips.
Up until now, cigarettes holders were permanently connected to an electronic processing module of a fixed laboratory installation designed to determine and process a certain number of parameters, such as:                puff volume,        puff duration,        inter-puff interval,        average puff rate,        number of puffs/cigarette,        total exhaled volume,        average volume/puff,        total puff duration,        mean duration/puff,        total inter-puff interval,        mean inter-puff interval.        
The disadvantage of solutions of this type is that smokers who take part in tests using this kind of installation are not in their usual environment, and are not able to go about their usual occupations. Therefore, at the time of these tests, their behaviour is different from their usual behaviour.
This disadvantage is reproduced when the parameters determined by the processing module are used to establish a smoking profile using instantaneous puff rate and draw values for example, with a view to reproducing this smoking on a smoking machine piloted by the electronic module (for example a single port smoking machine piloted by a stepping motor). This machine then substitutes for the smoker to reproduce mechanically the smoking of one or more cigarettes in accordance with the previously recorded smoking profile, to analyse yields under such conditions.
In addition, in either case this solution has the disadvantage of compelling the smokers to travel in order to come and smoke in a laboratory. Also, on account of the relatively high cost of this equipment, laboratories generally only have one such item of equipment.